United Soccer League

File:USL.gif

The Official USL logo.

The United Soccer Leagues (USL) is directly affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA). The USL is the parent organization for the men's lower division leagues of US Soccer USL First Division (second division), USL Second Division (third division), and Premier Development League (PDL) (fourth division). The top division for US men's soccer is Major League Soccer (MLS). The USL also includes a women's league W-League and the top flight youth league the Super Y-League. Currently it is the top flight of soccer in Canada, although Toronto FC will join MLS for the 2007 season.

The USL structure allows for the Second Division champion to be promoted to the First Division, provided that the team to be promoted meets criteria set by USL and the USSF, and space exists. A formal relegation process may also be added at a future date.

USL rosters may consist of a maximum of 26 players, with 18 designated for each game. Each team is permitted a maximum of five (5) foreign players on its active game-day roster and a maximum of seven (7) foreign players on its master roster. In the PDL and W-League, at least three players in a full 26-player roster must be under 19, in accordance with guidelines set by the USASA and USSF. In the PDL, a maximum of eight (8) players may be over the age of 23, and can retain their NCAA elegibility.

History

The USL began life in 1986 as the Southwest Indoor Soccer League. In 1989 the league added an outdoor season and subsequently became known as the Southwest Independent Soccer League with many teams playing both indoor and outdoor seasons. Before the beginning the 1990/91 indoor season the league again changed its name to the Sunbelt Independent Soccer League, and again prior to the beginning of the 1991/92 indoor season the league changed its name to the United States Interregional Soccer League, better known as the USISL.

In 1995, after briefly renaming themselves the United States International Soccer League, the league changed its name to the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues and formally established an amateur Premier League and a professional Pro League. The next year, the USISL established the new Select League consisting of its strongest teams from its professional FIFA Division 3 sanctioned Pro League and its amateur Premier League in hopes of gaining FIFA Division 2 sanctioning. The next season, the Select League and the independent Division 2 A-League merged to form a new A-League under the USISL umbrella. In 1999 the umbrella USISL changed its name to the United Soccer Leagues.

External links

• Official USL Website
• Fan operated discussion forum
• http://xsorbit25.com/users5/soccertalkcanada/index.php
• USL supporters on YouTube.com